Walter e



(NeModel.)

' W. E'. BENNETT.

LPING DEVICE. FR SEWING MACHINES.

Patented Sept. 23

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WALTER E. BENNETT, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO THE MOR- LEYBUTTON SEWING MACHINE COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

LOOPING DEVICE FOR SEWING-MACHINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 437,083, datedSeptember 23, 1890.

Application led July 24, 1889. Serial No. 318,501. (No model.)

T0 @ZZ whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, WALTER E. BENNETT, a citizen of the United States,residing at Boston, in the county of Sulfolk and State of Massachusetts,have invented new and useful Improvements in Loop-StitchSewing-Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to sewing-machines in which an open-eyed needleis employed, and refers particularly to improved means for manipulatinga loop of thread drawn by said needle up through the fabric, wherebysaid loop is retained in proper position and disengaged from said needlewithout withdrawing the latter from the loop, and to permit said needleto draw a second loop through the first one in the formation of a stitchin the fabric, without the aid of a cast-off and the invention consistsin the construction and arrangmen-t of the said loop-manipulatingdevices, all as hereinafter fully described, and pointed out in theclaims.

In the drawings forming part of this specification, Figure l is a sideelevation of a portion of a needle-bar, an open-eyed needle, a portionof a fixed partof a sewing-machine, and of loopmanipulating devicesconstructed according to my invention, the saidneedle-bar and needle inthis ligure being shown at their highest position above the fabric andthe thread, which is indicated in said figure beneath the parts abovereferred to. Fig. 2 is asimilar View to Fig. l, but showing` theneedle-bar and needle in a downward position, with the hook portion ofthe needle-eye through the fabric and below the thread thereunder, andthe loopmanipulating device in a correspondinglychanged position fromthat shown in Fig. l. Fig. 3 is a similar view'to Fig. 2, but showingthe needle and needle-bar in an upward position with the needle engagedwith a loop of thread drawn up through the fabric and the free end ofsaid loop-manipulating device engaged with said loop. Fig. 4 is a sideelevation of the needle-bar and needle, and an edge view of theloop-manipulating device, together' with a thread-loop engaged by theneedle, this figure showing the parts illustrated in Fig. 3 as thoughlooking toward the left side of said last-named figure. Fig. 5 is asimilar View to Fig. 3, but showing theloop of thread held up anddisengaged from the needle, and showing the point of the latter withinthe loop, as at the beginning of its descent to take a second loop. Fig.6 is asimilar view to Fig. 5, but showing the needle coinpletely throughthe first loop and through the fabric and in engagement with the threadpreparatory to drawing up a second loop. Fig. 7 is a similar view toFig. 6, but showing the needle-bar and needle in their upward positionand the needle in engagement with the said second loop, which is drawncompletely through the fabric. Fig. S is a perspective view of theloop-manipulating device or pivoted iinger and the said portion of afixed part of the machine to which said finger is attached.

In the drawings, 2 indicates the needle-bar of a sewing-machine havingby any wellknown suitable means a reciprocating endwise motion impartedthereto, and 3 is au open-eyed needle of ordinary construction securedto the lower end of said needle-bar. 4 indicates the ordinary positionof a piece of fabric under said needle when being operated upon by thelatter, and 5 a thread under said fabric.

A piece or part 6 is attached to or may be a part integral with the armof a sewing-machine in convenient proximity to the needlebar and rigidthereon, said part 6 having a slot, as shown, in its lower end, orotherwise conveniently arranged to provide for suspending thereto by apivotal connection with one end thereof a vibratory loop-holding anddeflecting finger 7, said nger beingsuspended by the side of saidneedle-bar and needle, and having its lower free end terminating a shortdistance above the table of the machine on which. the fabric 4 is placedto be operated upon. The said finger is constructed from a metallicpiece 8, (see Figs. 4 and 8,) having the general form there shown, andhaving on its edge adjoining the needle and needle-bar a projection a,of cam-like form, in which is a slight groove c, the lower end of saidingerpiece S being beveled, as at d, from near its center toward oneside thereof, as shown in Figs. 4 and 8, and the side of said piece 8 orthe front side thereof has attached thereto by one end, by a screw orother suitable means, as shown, a flat metallic spring 9, the lower IOOend of which terminates opposite said bcvelcd portion d of thefinger-piece 8, and is somewhat outwardly curved, to form, inconjunction with the said beveled side, aV-shaped opening in the edge ofthe finger at its lower end opposite the path of the needle 3; but thedeepest and narrowcst portion of said V- shaped opening or recess o isin a line to one side of the axial line of said needle, as clearly shownin Fig. 4. The said spring 9 is attached, as aforesaid, by one end tothe finger-piece S, and in the latter are fixed one or more steadypinsc, which extend through said spring 9 somewhat freely, in order that thelower end of said spring may have a slightly-yielding motion from thelower end of the finger-piece 8 when a loop of thread is drawn into therecess o, as below described, whereby said loop is temporarily clampedon the end of said finger 7 and held in that position while the needleperforms subsequent operations. A spring l0 is attached by one end tosaid rigidly-fixed part (i, and has its opposite end bearing against theouter side of the vibratory finger 7, to swing the latter toward theneedie-bar and needle. The said groove c engages with the side of theneedle and tends to keep the finger 7 in proper line with the latter.

The operation of my improvements in forming, in conjunction with aneedle-bar and an open-eyed needle, loop-stitchesA in fabric is asfollows: Fig. l illustrates the normal position of the iieedle-bar andneedle, the said loop holding and defiectin g finger 7 and the fabric 4eand thread 5 therebelow, and when in this position the said finger, bythe action ot' the spring 10, is made to lie against the side of theneedle 3, the point 0f the contact of said finger with the needle beingthe extremity of the cam projection a on said finger or the base of thegroove c therein. The first movement of the needle-bar is downward tothe position shown in Fig. 2, whereby it moves against the said camprojection o. on the nger 7, swinging the lower end of the latter awayfrom the needle and bringing the eye of the needle into position belowthe fabric l to engage with the thread 5 thereunder. The succeedingmovement of the needle-bar is upward, whereby it moves out of engagenient with the finger 7 and permits the lower end of the latter to swingagainst a loop l2, which the needle draws up through the fabric, asshown in Figs. 3 and l, said loop l2 being drawn against the beveledside d of the finger-piece 8, and forced thereby to be deiiectedlaterally to one side of the axis of the needle, and to be drawn sotightly into the base o1' iiairowest portion of the V-shaped opening oas to cause said .loop to be engaged and held by the finger 7temporarily in that position, the lower end of the spring S) yieldingsomewhat to allow said loop to be drawn in between the latter and theadjoining side of the finger-piccc 8. lVhile the loop l2 is held by thevibratoryfiiigcr, as shown in Figs.

3 and 4, the fabric is fed along, as indicated in Fig. 5, and thencedle'bar and needle then descend through said loop 12, substantiallyas shown in Fig. 5,tlie needle entering said loop while held by thefingerand while said finger occupies the position relative to the needleshown in Fig. l, this effect being the result of the slacking up of saidloop as the needle moves out of engagement with its extreme end, and ofthe lateralposition relative to the axis of the needle of that portionof said loop between the end of the finger 7 and the point of theneedle. The needle and needle-bar continue to move downward to thepositions shown in Fig. (l, causing the vibratory finger 7 to be swungfrom the needle, as aforesaid, and free from the loop 12, and the eyedportion of the needle to be carried below the fabric, where it is causedto engage with a looped portion of the thread and diaw the same upthrough said loop l2, as shown in Fig. 7. The above-described operationsare then repeated, and a row or line of looped stitches, as dcscribed,is formed in the fabric.

By the employment of the above-described loop holding and deflectingfinger 7, the loep, which is drawn up by said open-eyed needle, iscaused to be disengaged therefrom wit-hout the aid of the usual cast-offupon the descent of the latter, and the said loop is sustained in aconvenient position to canse the point of the needle to descend throughit without the aid of other instrumentalities, and thereby the means forforming the stitches described are much simplified.

lVliat I claim as my invention is l. In devices for formingloop-stitches in fabric, the combination, with stitch-forming devices,substantially as described, of a vi bratory loop-holdin g fin ger havinga V-shaped recess in its free end, comprising one rigid and one opposingspring jaw or member to engage with a thread-loop, said loop-holdingfingerbeing pivoted on the machine-head and operating at the side ct'thc needle, and a spring projecting from the said machinehead to forcethe free end of the finger against said loop, substantially as setforth.

2. In combination with a sewing-machine needle-bar and an open-eyedneedle carried thereby for forming loop-stitches in fabric, al

vibratory loop-holding finger pivoted by one end at the side of saidneedle and bar having a projection thereon for engagement with theiicedle-bar, and a V-shaped recess in its free end comprising one rigidand one opposing spriii jaw or member to engage with a threadloop, saidloop-holding finger being pi voted on theinachine-hcad and operatin g atthe side of the needle, and a spring projecting from the saidmachine-head to force the free end of the finger against said loop,substantially as set forth.

WALTER E. BENNET' Witnesses:

J. A. liAnniNoroN, M. I. WILLIAMS.

